Whether you want to dance the night away under the stars at Surf Club, or take the little ones on a family day out to Dubai Safari Park – now is the time.
If you’re looking for ways to keep cool while you’re out and about, be sure to stop in for a soft serve at Dubai’s new ‘urban beach’, or roll straight out of bed into a PJ pool party.
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There’s some great food on the go too, from free pizzas at Café Society or a basket of fresh tortillas at Alserkal’s latest Mexican restaurant.
All in all, it’s going to be a great weekend, so here are our must tries if you’re looking for things to do in Dubai.
Escape to Italy at Cinema Akil
Take a fleeting trip to the winding streets of Rome or the scenic Amalfi Coast with Italian Film Week at the Alserkal Avenue cinema. Screening the works of some incredible Italian directors from the ’50s and ’60s, get the popcorn out for the showing of Adriano Valerio’s Casablanca on Saturday.
Or head along on Sunday to watch a group of young Italians try to achieve their dreams (or ‘chimeras’) in Alice Rohrwacher’s Chimera.
Various timings. Until June 6. Cinema Akil, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, cinemaakil.com (056 995 1225).
Gorge on free pizza at Café Society
Give us a slice of that. Book in that long overdue catch-up with a mate and get two sizzling pizzas for the price of one at Café Society. You can even get a buy-one-get-on-free on soft drinks to wash down all that cheesy goodness. If you’re making the most of the deal, share the Mediterranean and the Spicy – they’re too good not to indulge in both!
Every Fri-Sun, noon-8pm. Tamani Hotel, Dubai Marina, cafescoeity.ae (04 318 3755).
Adopt a Garfield look-alike
If you’ve been looking for a new furry friend, this could be the time to meet your new forever feline companion.
Celebrating the June release of The Garfield Movie, The Petshop is spreading a whole lotta love for ginger cats in Dubai.
Making sure the little orange fluff balls are cared for, the store will be hosting an adoption day on June 1 and June 22. Welcoming cat lovers from all over the city, you’ll get a chance to meet some special Garfield lookalikes who are searching for a fur-ever home.
June 1, 2pm-5pm; June 1, 11am-2pm; and June 22, 11am-3pm. Dubai Investment Park and Umm Suqeim, thepetshop.com (800 738 7467).
Book a yacht party with all your friends
Maybe you’ve got something to celebrate this weekend, or maybe you just fancy getting the whole gang together for the day. Make the most of the weather and try a charter with JoJo Leisure Yachts Rental, getting you and all of your loved ones out on the water.
Able to accommodate up to 100 guests (well done if you have that many mates), you can even add a limousine transfer, catering or water spots onto your trip. If you book online, remember to use the code JOJOSUMMER25 to get 25 percent off.
Prices and timings subject to change. jojo-yachts.com (056 988 4863).
Palazzo Pyjama Pool Party
You can roll straight out of bed into this one. The chic PJ pool party at Palazzo Versace will be running all afternoon on Saturday, giving you the perfect excuse to lounge about in your comfiest clothes.
Offering free-flowing drinks and a brunch spread from 1pm to 4pm, you can dance by the pool or swap into your swimwear and enjoy a cold one at the swim-up bar.
Dhs350 (house beverages). Sat 10am (pool access), 1pm-4pm (brunch). Palazzo Versace Dubai, Al Jaddaf, palazzoversace.ae (04 556 8805).
Make a gorgeous flower arrangement
Freshen up your home for summer with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, but this time… you’ll be arranging the bouquet yourself. Get your craft on and piece together a selection of petals perfect for you, all the while being guided by the Floral Manager of BloomingBox. After all that floristry, sit back and relax with a coffee and breakfast from Villa Naas, before taking your floral creation home.
Dhs490. Sat June 1, 10am-noon. Villa Naas, Al Habtoor Polo Resort, bloomingbox.com (052 620 6060).
Visit Miracle Gardens
The stunning outdoor gardens will close for the summer on June 2, so make sure to squeeze in one last trip before then.
Home to 150 million flowers, snap a selfie next to the huge floral Emirates A380, let the little ones run around Smurf Village, and keep an eye on the time at the gigantic flower clock.
A top Dubai attraction, you won’t be able to visit again for a few months – don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Open Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat-Sun 9am-11pm. Closes June 2. Dubai Miracle Garden, Al Barsha South. Dubaimiraclegarden.com(04 422 8902).
Have a weekend breakfast at Time Out Market
Start your weekend off in the right way with some special breakfast dishes and even a tipple at Time Out Market. All 17 vendors are offering delicious dishes that you can only get your hands on at the weekend, from Reif’s tango toast to a Morning Sanger at Pickl. If you want to add something to the occasion, you can opt for a glass of bubby for only Dhs45 per glass.
Every Sat-Sun, 10am-1pm. Souk Al Bahar, Downtown Dubai, timeoutmarket.com (054 375 2421).
Try a new Italian brunch
Escape to the Sicilian countryside for the afternoon and celebrate Italian National Day at the Evviva brunch. Launching on June 2, you’ll be singing That’s Amoré after nibbling away on a burrata bruschetta or the homemade truffle ravioli. Offering up a huge Italian spread, be sure to save some room for the tiramisu.
Dhs425 (soft), Dhs545 (house), Dhs775 (bubbly). From Sat June 2, 1pm-6pm, Signor Sassi, The St. Regis Gardens Palm, Palm Jumeirah, signorsassidubai.com (04 278 4848).
Watch Russel Kane live
The British comedian will be making audiences sides split on June 2, when he takes to the stage at the Theatre by QE2. Last in Dubai in 2023, the award-winning presenter will be sharing some of his latest material, and it’s sure to be hilarious. Although you won’t be able to get targeted in a front row seat (they’re sold out), there are still plenty available for you to head along and have a good laugh.
From Dhs175. Sun Jun 2, from 6.30pm. Theatre by QE2, Port Rashid, dubai.platinumlist (058 838 3107).
Whizz around on a speedboat tour
Take a tour of the city James-Bond-style, and explore the coastline on your own Dubai speedboat tour with The Black Boats. Starting out in Dubai Marina, look up at the towers as you cruise by, before whizzing out into the sea, round the Palm and over to Burj Al Arab.
Offering a new summer deal, you can even get 25 percent off your tour cost by redeeming the code TBBSUMMER25 at the checkout.
Prices and timings vary. theblackboats.com (052 479 8883).
Grab a soft serve at the new Brix pop-up
The beach café at Jumeirah Fishing Harbour has had a glow up for summer and is now rocking its own ‘beach club’ for the warmer months. Opening up a full sandpit, recline in one of the deckchairs as you grab a bit of shade with a pineapple sorbet or a soft serve at this new ‘urban beach’.
For something even more refreshing, sip on a fresh coconut as you pose next to the stripy surfboards.
Open daily 8am-11.30pm. Jumeirah Fishing Harbour, Al Urouba Street, brixdessert.com (054 515 7861).
Visit Dubai Safari Park
It’s the last weekend to see your favourite wild animals before the park closes for the summer, so don’t miss your chance to visit.
Give a last wave to the giraffes before they chill out for the hotter months, and be sure to try out feeding the rhinos with the little ones.
The park tickets are on offer too. A family pass for two adults and three children will cost you just Dhs105 – that’s a Dhs90 saving on the usual prices.
The offer lasts until the end of the Dubai Safari Park season on Sunday June 2.
Open daily until Sun Jun 2, 10am-6.30pm. Dubai Safari Park, Al Warqa 5. dubaisafari.ae (800 900).
Party at the last FRSH Friday before summer
One of the best spots for a dance on a Friday night, the electric party at Surf Club will be closing down for the summer, however the beach club itself will be staying open. If you love a beach-side boogie, don’t miss the chance to party at the last open-air Sunset Brunch, followed by live performances from Dany Neville under the stars.
Sunset Brunch Dhs249 (ladies), Dhs299 (gents) 4pm-7pm. FRSH after-party 7pm-late. Fri May 31. Surf Club, West Beach, Palm Jumeirah, surfclubdubai.com (04 589 5444).
Pop into Alserkal Avenue’s latest culinary addition
The all-day Mexican dining spot has just touched down in Alserkal following the success of its sister restaurant Lila Taqueira.
Creating a unique space to haul up for the day, browse and shop the home-roasted coffee beans or freshly grown chilli peppers. Then head upstairs to the calming and open-plan café, where you can work remotely over an espresso, or tuck into everything from enchiladas to freshly baked tortilla chips.
Open Tues-Sun 8am-6pm. Warehouse 18 Alserkal Avenue, lilamolino.com (04 388 5600).
Get on the dancefloor at Skyline Fridays
Need to let off some steam fast after leaving the office? Make a beeline for Friday nights at Penthouse, which will be hosting its Skyline party. This week, the club will be welcoming powerhouse hit-maker, Cuartero, who has got crowds bouncing everywhere from London to Ibiza. Sharing the stage with Manda Moor, the techno experts will be bringing the party right vibes into the small hours.
Free entry (ladies), Dhs300 (gents). 10pm-late, Fri June 1. Penthouse, FIVE Palm Jumeirah, thepenthouse.co (052 900 4868).
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